From Struggles to Confident Smiles
Ruth Cooper wasn’t sure where to turn when she needed her dentures adjusted. Having recently lost her job in 2015, she was short on money and thought maybe Eastman Dental could help.
She was right. The specialists at Eastman not only helped her then but gave her a call in 2017 to see if she’d like to participate in a clinical study where she could receive upper implant supported fixed prosthetics at no cost to her.
‘You betcha!’ she responded. “They were wonderful!”
Ruth, now age 74, loved the security her new upper prostheses provided. “I love not having to worry about them slipping down or falling out.” She also loved not worrying as much about getting food stuck underneath the plate. “Another bonus was that I could eat carrots again! I love carrots and wasn’t confident eating them before.”
Ruth especially enjoyed not having to remove them every night to soak.
A second inquiry for potential study participation came in early 2019, which involved the clip-in prosthetics/implant retained partials. This would add a greater level of chewing capacity, patient satisfaction, and security to Ruth’s prostheses.
“I was so excited and thrilled, because bottom dentures tend to come out so much easier when eating,” she said.
Eastman Dental is the clinical component of Eastman Institute for Oral Health, which provides 10 post-doctoral advanced and specialty training residency programs and a master’s degree in Dental Science. These programs range from one to five years. Ruth’s providers included faculty who graduated from the Institute’s prosthodontics and periodontics residency programs. Because her care took place over several years, Ruth enjoyed having multiple providers throughout her time as a patient.
“I do get disappointed when they graduate,” she admitted, “but I love to joke around with them. They were all wonderful and have been able to help me with any concerns I’ve had.”
“We’re delighted we could help Ruth experience a higher quality of life with her implant supported dentures,” said Dr. Shalom Benzaquen (Prostho ‘24, Perio ’27), who works closely with Graser Implant Fellow Dr. Mahshid Torabi (Prostho ’24) for Ruth’s treatment. “Ruth’s care required nuanced, delicate treatment given some complexity to her functional circumstances. Despite these challenges, our goal was to do our best to maintain her existing dentition.”
On several occasions it was necessary to provide emergency treatment, including restorative work by the specialists in the Prosthodontic Department and a root canal performed at Eastman’s Specialty Care Clinic.
“Dr. Benzaquen is so sweet,” said Ruth, who occasionally brings in homemade sweet treats for all the residents. “He’s a perfectionist. When I go in for adjustments, he always makes sure that my bite aligns perfectly. He’s very concerned and wants to make sure everything is right. He’s very nice to me.”
“And Dr. Torabi goes above and beyond,” Ruth continued. “She took the time to help me work through a situation that wasn’t related to my dental treatment. They both always made me feel comfortable and good – they are the nicest people in the world.”
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